Subgrade planer



SUBGRADE PLANER 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 20, 1955 M N B E m. 5 5 M mN INVENTOR5 960 N. B. BEDERMAN ETAL 2,957,254

SUBGRADE PLANER 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 20, 1955 INVENTORS NATHAN 5.5DEZMIN BY NORMA/Y M, JONES dig.

Oct. 25, 1960 Filed Jan. 20, 1955 N. B. BEDERMAN El'AL SUBGRADE PLANER 5Sheets-Sheet 3 fie. 6

NATHAN fi g 1122M! By NORMAN M. Jam-s 1960 N. B. BEDERMAN HAL 2,957,254

SUBGRADE PLANER Filed Jan. 20, 1955 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR! A/A THAN5. EEDERHA/V NOFMA/V N- JONES BY Oct. 25, 1960 N. B. BEDERMAN EI'AL2,957,254

SUBGRADE PLANER 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 i/l mm X NV NATHAN A. gffiifiw NORMAN MJONES Filed Jan. 20, 1955 SUBGRADE PLANER Nathan B. Bederrnan and NormanM. Jones, Chicago, BL, assignors to Arcole Midwest Corporation, Skokie,11., a corporation of Illinois Filed Jan. 20, 1955, Ser. No. 482,988

8 Claims. (Cl. 37-108) The present invention relates to self-propelledmachines for accurately preparing a filled sub-grade over which apavement of concrete or other material is to be placed.

In most grading machines of the general class to which this relates roadforms are used consisting usually of accurately placed and secured railmembers which serve the purpose as forms for containing the subsequentlyapplied paving material and which are utilized as wheel rails over whichthis and other processing machinery is rolled. Having to utilize roadforms in this manner involves considerable expense and cost factors inaddition to placement such as cleansing, oiling and maintenance betweenjobs.

It is a primary object of the present invention accordingly to device amachine which will perform an accurate fine grading or planing operationwithout requiring the use of such forms in order to avail of the severaleconomics which inure.

In order to fulfill the close tolerance conditions which are customaryunder highway and road building contracts the utilization of analternative mode of operation necessarily requires an advancepreparation of the side strips which flank a tentative roadway and thisconsists in leveling and stabilizing the granular fill in order torender travel over these side strips smooth and regular. Suchpreparatory operations of the side strips are also prerequisite to theuse of forms.

It is accordingly another object of the present invention to devise amachine which may be supported on but partially prepared road stripswhich have undergone a rough scraping and gravel smoothing operation butnot a rolling operation, and to perform thereafter a fill gradingoperation.

Another object of the present invention includes the provision of amachine of the class described which admits of a considerable degree ofadjustment or enlargement to take care of variations in road widths.

Still another object of the present invention is to devise a machine ofthis class which lends itself notably to significant or partialdismantling so that it may be transported by rail or otherwise, handilyand speedily to remote destinations.

Still another object of the present invention is to devise such amachine in which the framework is inherently yieldable to certain typesof distortion strains which are unavoidable upon encounter withcurbstones or other obstacles.

The foregoing and other objects and features of this invention are suchas will become more evident during the course of the following detaileddescription of structure and operation as well as from the claims whichfollow hereinafter, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.In both the drawings and description similar reference numeralsdesignate corresponding parts throughout.

Figure l is a front elevational view, with minor portions broken awayfor compactness, of a sub-grade planer having embodied therein variousfeatures of the present invention.

ire Smtes atent 2,957,254 Patented Oct. 25, 1960 Fig. 3 is a sideelevational view on a slightly enlarged scale of the apparatus disclosedin Figs. 1 and 2.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view on an enlarged scale takenapproximately on line 4-4 of Fig. 2 featuring the structural detailssurrounding the conveyor and planer blade.

Fig. 5 is a rear elevational view of the apparatus shown in Figs. 1 and2.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary detail rear elevational view of thecoupling bracket and cushion mount characteristic of the trailing tampmechanism.

Fig. 7 is a plan view of the structural detail illustrated in Fig. 6.

Fig. 8 is a transverse sectional view on an enlarged scale takenapproximately on line 8-8 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 9 is a sectional view similar to Fig. 8 taken approximately on line99 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 10 is a partial sectional view on an enlarged scale takenapproximately on line 10-10 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 11 is a fragmentary side elevational view as indicated by linel11-1 on Fig. 2, and

Fig. 12 is a detailed perspective view with intermediate portions brokenaway of the scraper blade and its related fixture apparatus.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, the reference numeral21, Figs. l3, designates a principal transverse channel beam which islong enough to span a roadway and its ends extend through the supportingframe structures within the encompassment of the tractor treads 22 and23, Fig. 5. Channel beam 21 is secured to the top of each pair ofchannel beam frame members 24 in tractor tread assembly 22, and 25 intractor tread assembly 23, being thereat bolted after the mannerindicated at 26, Fig. 8. The subframe members 24 or 25 are pairs ofspaced channel beams in the manner shown in Fig. 10 with their channelflanges facing outward. Within the spacing between each said pair ofmembers and at each end of these assemblies there is provided front andrear journal blocks as at '28 and 27, Figs. 3 and 8, for supporting thefront and rear sprocket shafts 29 and 31 respectively.

At the front, the journal shafts 29 support idler sprockets 32, while atthe rear the shafts 3'1 support drive sprockets 33. Moreover, the shafts31, one for each side frame, extend inwardly as best observed in Fig. 2,whereat they are additionally journaled as at 34 in blocks that restupon extension brackets mounted on the principal beam 21.

The foregoing described arrangement has been purposefully designed sothat the principal channel beam 21 can be variably secured to thesubframe member pairs 24 and 25 to allow greater or smaller widthvariation in accordance with road beds which are constructed on 20, 22,or 24 foot Width standards. During the course of the ensuing descriptionit will be noted how other of the frame detail structure and drivingmechanism admits of being dismantled and reassembled consistent withthis plan of adjustment.

Nearer the front of the machine, by which is meant the lower portion asviewed in Fig. 2, there will be observed another transversely extendingbeam member 36, see also Fig. 4, which in this case is a wide beamchannel disposed with its flanges extended vertically and lying acrossthe subframe beams 24- and 25. This structural element is locatedsignificantly to the rear of the front idler sprockets 32 as bestportrayed in Figs. 3 and 4. As evident from Figs. 1 and 2, channel beam36 serves as a receptacle into which the granular materialaccumulations, when in excess of a predetermined quantity, are designedto spill over and be carried beyond 3 the -range of the side strips 37,Fig. 1, traversed by the tractor treads.

Channel member 36 supports at its extremities the plat forms 38, Fig. 2,on which are mounted journalbrackets 39 and 41 for the shafts 42 whichcarry power-driven sprockets 43 and 44, Figs. 1 and 10. Around thesesprockets 43'and '44 there is trained an endless belt link chain 45which is prevented from drooping excessively at its upper flight by theprovision of a series of support rollers 46 that are idly jcurnaled inindividual transverse V shafts 47. sustained by vertical structure posts48.

vidually driven through a gear reduction unit 52 or 53 which imparts acharacteristic direction of motion there- 'to. Reduction unit 52 isdriven by a system of shafts 54 and universal joint connectors 55 from atransmission unit disposed beneath the platform 56, Fig. 2, as is alsotransmission unit'53 so driven over a system of shafts 57 and universaljoints 58. By replacing the shaft lengths 54-with others of suitablesize adjustment is made compatibly'with anyof several standard roadwaywidths.

By means of the control lever 59, Fig. 2, it is made possible for butone and only one of these power trains to be effective at a time. Inthis way the sweeping action of the conveyor belt 45 is reversible andmay be made to discharge the granular accumulations in channel trough'36either to the right or to the left of the roadway, as is expedient.

The rear sprockets 33, Fig. 8, mounted on shafts31 impart driving powerto the tractor treads 22 and 23. This power is obtained in each casefrom an individual drive chain 61, Figs. 2 and 8, which meshes with adriven sprocket 62 secured to each of the shafts 31 as Well as with adriving sprocket 64 which is carried by the driving end shafts of thegear reduction units 65 and 66 appropriately supported on extensionsfrom the principal frame beam 21. The aforedescribed gear reductionunits 65 and 66 are powered on the one hand by a system of shafts 67 anduniversal joints 68 and on the other hand by 'a system of shafts 69 anduniversal joints 71 from a differential transmission generallydesignated 72. Each of these driving trains is separately controlled bythe levers 73 and 74, Fig. 2.

The described levers 73 and 74 are preferably each provided with toothedpositioning segments so that they may be secured at differentadjustments respecting speed of rotation. When travelling overstraightaway courses, these levers will be similarly positioned thusimparting identical rates of speed through their gear reduction units 65and 66 to the treads 22 and 23. When, however, the

. roadway enters upon a turn these speeds will be ap propriately variedso that one or the other of the tractor treads runs faster by a suitableamount whereupon the subgrade machine may be made to follow the courseof the roadway.

Power for the described propulsion and conveyor purposes is obtainedfrom a single central driving engine 76 which may be gasoline or otherfuel fed from a tank 70. A belt takeoff designated at 77 is shown inFig. 2 to impart rotation to the transmission apparatus 72 for drivingthe conveyor as well as for driving the tractor elements.

This group of elements, shown in diminutive scale in Fig. 2, includes adriven pulley concealed from view by the right hand endof belt 77, afirst stage speed reduction'unit 7%, partially concealed by platform 56,and a second stage reducer 80 which drives the differential transmissionunit 72. The latter converts this rotary power at optionallycontrollable rates of speed to the system of shafts 67 and 69."

The reference numeral 78 designates an electric generator which may bedriven through a takeofi from the already described transmission systemor if preferred it may be a self-contained fuel powered unit. Electricalpower thus generated is required for operating the vibratory tampinginstrumentalities 126 and 111 which will be described later. Access tovarious ones of the power, control, and servicing apparatus is easilyhad from the platform 56 and in close proximity to this position acontrol operator may also have access over a catwalk 79 to the scraperblade adjustment cranks 81. Accordingly, but one supervisory controloperator is required to direct the subgrade planer throughout its courseof travel, whether over straightaway or curved sections of the roadway.This includes giving the required attention to crowning the straightawayto assist drainage and to flatten the curves, where level conditions areusually preferred.

At the front of thechannel member 36, as best revealed in Fig. 4, thereare secured an appropriate number of guide brackets 82'with which therecooperate the guide bracket followers 83 best seen in Fig. 12. Thestationary brackets 82 are shown to be secured to the forward flange ofchannel beam 36, but if preferred a separate beam to support theseelements, may be provided,

. metricalcomponents which abut each other closely as at 87, and eachblade has secured to it a slightly curved continuation section 88 and 89which undergoes the actual scraper or planer engagement with thesubgrade granular material.

The angle of inclination shown tends to gather the accumulated subgradematerial into a mass which is continuously advanced as the machinetravels forward. When the mass accumulations exceed the level of theblades 85 and 86, any excess works its way up the blades as a ramp andspills over into the channel receptacle 36.

Between the blade sections 85 and 86 there is provided a threadedcoupling member 91 which is pivotally articulated to both blades. Byrotating the central one of the three adjustment cranks 81, Fig. 2,which is secured to shaft 92, Fig. l, the coupling member 91 may beraised or lowered thereby imparting corresponding adjustment to both ofthe adjacent ends of the blades 85 and 86.

This so-called coupling member 91 is essentially a link having pivotedarticulation with both of the blade secalso Fig. 4, terminate with ballextremities 95 that reside in the socket fixtures 96 so that adjustmentof these endmost screws 93 and 94 vary the elevation of the remoteends'of the blades and 86. This permits the introduction of somevariation by which crowning of the road may be achieved where desired,namely, on straightaways and leveling of Where desired usually oncurves.

Shield plates 100, Fig. 11, secured to the inner sur- 7, faces of theforwardly extending portions of the tractor side frames, abut the endsof the blade assembly 85-86, boxing in the gravel or other fill materialaccumulations and confining such to overspilling solely in the directionbackwards, over the blade inclination and onto the con veyor channel 35.

At the front end of each tractor tread assembly as best observed fromFigs. 2 and 3 there is provided a cantilever framework support,generally designated 101 and 102, see also Fig. 11. This consists of apair of horizontal beam members 193 rigidly integrated with itsframework substructure by means of the struts 1G4 and carrying at theirforemost ends journals 105 for a rock shaft 110 with which is integrateda crank arm 106. When a control arm 167, also fast to the shaft 13.9, ispermitted to assume the position shown in Fig. 3, arm 106 may hangdownwardly disposing the support links 108 of a frame 109 in such amanner that the tamping plate 111 comes into engagement with the groundsurface of the roadway side strips thereat, whereupon the vibratoryelements 112 which may be powered electrically by the generator 78,perform a settling or stabilizing of the partially prepared flankingstrip area before they are encountered by the treads 22 or 23. Thisprevents irregularities of movement which might otherwise be transmittedto the entire machine due to the de layed settling of crushed rock orother material fragments after they have been encountered by the tractortreads.

It is to be observed that the scraper which is comprised of two halfsections 85 and 86 each having curved continuations 38 and 89 possessesa significant slope. Also, at the outermost ends of the scraperassembly, confinement of the fill material accumulations is aided by theprovision thereat of the perpendicular shield plates Figs. 1, 4 and 11,secured to the tractor side frame structures so as to prevent any of theaccumultions from spilling into the region of the tractor treads. Uponencounter with the subgrade material which is usually crushed rock,gravel or similar substance, the efl'ect will be to carry along anaccumulation of subgrade material excesses, filling in holes or voidswhenever they are encountered and scraping away excesses to add to theaccumulations. By skill which is acquired from practice, the depositionof crushed rock or other subgrade fill material may be controlled sothat the excess accumulations are marginal and waste through over supplyis at a minimum.

Whenever these accumulations rise above the upper limit of the scraperblades 85 and 86 they spill over into the channel 36 whence they aredirectly carried away to one side or the other of the roadway by theconveyor paddles 49.

The level of the roadway after having been traversed by the template orscraper blades 85-86 may in this way be regulated to a precise conditiondetermined in correspondence with the pre-leveled side shoulders orstrips 37.

The entire unit may be driven from a single power source 76, as alreadydescribed, which comprises a fuel engine whose rotary power output istransmitted by belt 77 to a speed reduction and transmission unit 70.The latter includes a rotary drive shaft continuation to a furtherreducer 80, that in turn leads to the lever controlled transmission 72,and a sidewise take-off that drives another shaft 90 Fig. 1. Shaft 90'imparts rotation to an alternatively clutch-coupled member 90 whichpowers shaft system 54 or shaft system 57 in accordance with the settingof lever 59.

To stabilize the leveled roadway novel means will now be described whichmakes unnecessary the heretofore known practice of rolling.

At the rear of the machine as best viewed in Figs. 2 and 3 there may beobserved a transversely extending rock shaft 121 which is rotatablysupported by a series of arms 122 from the principal beam 21, also seeFigs. 8 and 9. When the rock shaft 121 is disposed in its activeposition, a series of arms 123 carried thereby, each having a threadednut 124, engaged by an adjustable and threaded support shaft 125,permits the weighted tamping plates 126' to come into engagementwith'the subgrade surface. The vibratory electrically driven motorelements 127, Fig. 5 thereof, produce a tamping and settling effect akinto that heretofore produced by rolling operation. The several tampingplates 126 are contiguously disposed after the manner best indicated inFig. 2. Between each adjacent pair, see also Figs. 6 and 7, there isprovided a coupling bracket 128 which is pivotally articulated as at 129to an individual rubber mount bracket 131. Thus, by rotating theadjustment screws and raising the coupling brackets 128 the level atwhich the vibratory plates are disposed is blendingly regulated asbetween adjacent plates without interfering with the individualvibratory action imparted to each plate by its related motor 127.

From the foregoing it will be understood that by means of the describedsubgrade planer and stabilizer certain intermediate procedures involvingadded labor costs which are required in accordance with standardspecification practice, lend themselves to be accomplished with but asingle pass. Moreover, all of the processing operations are made withoutforms, rails or other factors heretofore constituting material expensein paving and road building operations.

With roadway preparing operations thus reduced in terms of labor unitexpenditure, substantial savings may be effected which will be reflectedin state and national highway construction programs and consequentlyshould result in corresponding public tax reduction. In addition tofinancial considerations, the combining of what has heretofore beenseparate and detached steps into a single effort, will result inspeedier completion of construction work so that more miles can be pavedover a given period of time.

While the present invention has been expressed and described withreference to certain particularized examples, it will be understoodnevertheless that various departures and variations are within theprimary contemplation. Accordingly, for an understanding of the scope ofthis invention reference should be had to the accompanying claimswithout regard to the specific description and illustrations in thepreceding explanation and drawings.

The invention claimed is:

1. In a subgrade fill planing machine, a principal frame havingsuflicient width for transversely spanning a roadway, a channel memberforming a frontal transverse beam element of said principal frame andhaving its web flanges disposed upwardly, a plurality of perpendicularspaced guide brackets secured to the front of said channel member webflanges, an inclined planer blade comprised of a plurality of contiguoussections extending across the width of said principal frame, atriangular brace structure welded to the rear of each of said planerblade sections and comprising a horizontal component and a verticalcomponent, guide bracket followers welded to the rear surface of saidbrace structure vertical components for confining its section tovertical motion in accordance with said guide brackets, coupling membersfor articulating adjacent edges of said planer blade sections, and meansfor adjusting the planer blade sections vertically within the range ofmovement aiforded by said guide brackets and said coupling members whichcomprises a series of spaced vertically disposed threaded screw shafts,threaded nut portions extending from said principal frame with whichsaid shafts threadably engage, and ball and socket articulation meansbetween the ends of said shafts and aligned portions of said planerblade sections.

2. In a roadway processing machine, a main frame of width to span aroadway, a subframe at each side of and supporting said main frame, eachsaid subframe being adapted to overlie the side strip flanking saidroadway, an endless chain of tractor treads around each of saidsubframes, a scraper secured to the forward end p'ortion' of said mainframe for finely leveling .fillmaterial ,deposifedonsaid roadway, 'and'tampingmans at the rear end portion of saidmain frame for stabilizingthefill material after it has been passed over by said scraper, saidtamping means comprising a transverse rock shaft rotatably mountedin therear of said main frame, a series of arms in radial alignment and spacedfrom each other secured to said rock shaft, a threaded nut elementcarried 1 by each of said' arms, a perpendicular shaft having threadedengagement with each of said nut elements for vertical adjustment andincluding at its lower end a supportibracket coupling and rubber.mounts, and a series of'self powered vibratory tamping plates arrangedin?) substantially beyond said principal frame atthe front of? themachine, a system of tractor cleats carried by each of said subframesfor riding upon said side stripes, a central power engine carried bysaid principal frame for driving said tractor cleat systems to therebypropel said machine,

devices carried by said principal frame for scraping the subgrade;material of said roadway surface as said machine ,is propelled, and atool carried at the front end of each of said subframes for tamping thesubgrade mate rial disposed at said flanking strip regions on both sidesof the roadway before they are encountered by theirrespective subframetractor cleat systems, whereby the subgrade material of the flankingstrip regions is compacted and stabilized, toestablish at each sidestrip a reference level from which the devices carried by the principalframe are gauged in respect to their roadway surface scraping operation.

4. The combination set forth in claim 3 in which said tool carried atthe front end of each of said subframes comprises a tamping plate thewidth of each of the roadway flanking strips, and a power drivenvibratory element imposed upon said' tampingplate whereby to settle andstabilize the surface materials of said flanking strips so that they maynot become dislodged or shifted when subsequently they are encounteredby'the subframe tractor cleat systems.

5. The combination set forth in claim.3 in' which said devicescarried'by said principal framefor scraping the roadway surfacecomprises a roadway width spanning assembly of downwardly and forwardlyinclined scraper blades for striking off roadway surface levels andpro-- viding ramp-like inclined surfaces over which struck off roadwaysurface materials may be carried, and a transversely arranged endlessbelt conveyor behind said scraper blade assembly extending beyond theflanking strips and said subframes, whereby the carried roadway surfacematerials may be discharged beyond the range of the flanking strips.

6. The combination set forth in claim 3 in which said devices carried bysaid principal frame for scraping the roadway surface includes aforemost alignment of scraper blades for striking off a surface leveland scraping away surface materials in excess of such level, and arearmost alignment of tamping plates each bearing an individually drivenbivratory element for settling and stabilizing the scraped roadwaysurface following the action of said scraper blades, adjacent ones ofsaid tamping plates and borne vibratory elements being connectedtogether by pivotally articulated coupling brackets.

7. The combination set forth in claim 3 in which said tool carried atthe front end of each of said subframes comprises a cantilever structurecarried by and extending forwardly of each subframe, a tamping elementpendulously supported from each of said cantilver structures, and avibratory element borne by each of said tamping elements for actuatingsaid tamping elements upon the roadway flanking strips in front of eachsubframe and its system of tractor cleats to stabilize the surfacesthereof before they are encountered by the tractor cleats.

8. A machine for preparing roadway subgrade surfaces for pavement whichcomprises, a principal frame adapted to span the width of a proposedroadway, a subframe on each side of said principal frame adapted tooverlie the side strips flanking on both sides of the proposed roadway,said subfrarnes including portions which extend substantially beyondsaid principal frame at the front of the machine, a system of tractorcleats carried by each of said subframes for riding upon said sidestrips, a central power engine carried by said principal frame fordriving said tractor cleat systems to thereby propel said machine,devices carried by said' principal frame for scraping the subgradematerial of said roadway surface as said machine is propelled, tampingdevices carried between the subframes to the rear of said scrapingdevices for settling and stabilizing the subgrade material of thescraped roadway surface as said machine is propelled, and a tool carriedat the front end of each of said subframes for tamping the subgradematerial disposed at said flanking strip regions on both sides of theroadway before they are encountered by their respective subframe tractorcleat systems, whereby the subgrade material of the flanking stripregions is compacted and stabilized to establish at each side strip areference level from which the devices carried by the principal frameare gauged in respect to their roadway surface scraping and tampingoperations.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,768,657 Baker July 1, 1930 1,883,667 Flynn Oct. 18, 1932 1,995,629Baker Mar. 26, 1935 2,072,150 Baker Mar. 2, 1937 2,186,059 Baker Jan. 9,1940 2,416,401 Meisenburg Feb. 25, 1947 2,713,217 Meisenburg July 19,1955 2,779,258 Johnson Jan; 29, 1957 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,063,468 FranceDec. 16, 1953 1,095,178 France Dec. 15, 1954

